U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Building Technologies Office – Appliance & Equipment Standards
Round Robin Testing – Residential Central Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps
DOE has initiated round robin testing of central air conditioners and heat pumps. Each test lab shall test the selected central air conditioners and heat pumps in strict accordance with the test procedure indicated in Table 1, including all tests necessary to measure and calculate the key metrics listed in Table 1. Each participating lab will test the selected outdoor/indoor unit combination in accordance with the DOE test procedure three (3) times for a total of three (3) tests.
DOE is now accepting requests for test slots!
See Schedule below.
Table 1: Test Procedure and Key Metrics
| Appliance Type |
Applicable DOE Test Procedure from 10 CFR Part 430 Subpart B |
Key Performance Metrics for Each Test |
| Central Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps |
Appendix M, Uniform Test Method for Measuring the Energy Consumption of Central Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps [72 FR 59922, Oct. 22, 2007] |
Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio [Btu/Wh] |
| Heating Seasonal Performance Factor [Btu/Wh] |
Table 2: Test Quantities
| Appliance Type |
Number of Outdoor/Indoor Unit Combinations |
Tests/Unit |
Total Tests |
| Central Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps |
1 |
3 |
3 |
Test Procedure
The applicable test procedure is contained at 10 CFR 430 Subpart B Appendix M: Uniform Test Method for Measuring the Energy Consumption of Central Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps [72 FR 59922, Oct. 22, 2007].
Schedule
Schedule updated 06-03-11.
DOE is accepting requests for test slots. Each test slot represents the period from receipt of test unit(s) to submittal of test reports and preparation of test unit(s) for shipment. All shipment locations must be within the U.S. or Canada.
Interested labs are encouraged to contact us (roundrobintesting@ee.doe.gov) with their first and second choice of test slot. Available test slots are listed as "Open" in the schedule below.
| Week Ending |
CAC Combo 1 |
CAC Combo 2 |
| 19-Aug-11 |
Slot 1 - Open Independent Lab |
Slot 1 - Open Independent Lab |
| 26-Aug-11 |
| 2-Sep-11 |
shipping |
| 9-Sep-11 |
shipping |
| 16-Sep-11 |
Slot 2 - Open Independent Lab |
shipping |
| 23-Sep-11 |
shipping |
| 30-Sep-11 |
shipping |
Slot 1 - Open Manufacturer Lab |
| 7-Oct-11 |
shipping |
| 14-Oct-11 |
Slot 2 - Open Manufacturer Lab |
shipping |
| 21-Oct-11 |
shipping |
| 8-Oct-11 |
shipping |
Slot 3 - Open Manufacturer Lab |
| 4-Nov-11 |
shipping |
| 11-Nov-11 |
Slot 4 - Open Manufacturer Lab |
shipping |
| 18-Nov-11 |
shipping |
| 25-Nov-11 |
Slot 5 - Open Manufacturer Lab |
| 2-Dec-11 |
shipping |
| 9-Dec-11 |
shipping |
shipping |
| 16-Dec-11 |
Slot 6 - Open Manufacturer Lab |
shipping |
| 23-Dec-11 |
Slot 7 - Open Manufacturer Lab |
| 30-Dec-11 |
|